Device for detaching horses from vehicles.



T. M. BOVARD. Y DEVICE FOR DETAUHING HORSESTROM VEHICLES. ;APPLIOATION II'LBD 10v; 4, 1907 912,646. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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THOMAS M. BOVARD, OF OAKDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR DETACHING HORSES FROM VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,630.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. Bovimn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakdale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Detaching Horses from Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for detaching horses from vehicles and comprises essentially a metallic clip adapted to fit over the end of a whifile tree and, in the provision of a pivotal whiflle hook having an elongated arm adapted to be held against the shank of said clip by means of a sliding fastener which may be released from said arm, in case of emergency, to allow the whiflie hook to turn upon its pivot to release a trace, each end of the whifiie tree being equipped with a similar device with chains or cords connected to the releasing means and positioned within convenient reach of an operator in the vehicle to which the device is attached.

The invention comprises various other details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the hook released. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a plate which is adapted to hold a pivotal whiffie tree hook.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a whifile tree adapted to be attached to the running gear of a vehicle in the usual manner, and B is a plate or clip of metal having two wings B which are adapted to brace the opposite faces of the whilfle tree adjacent to its end and projecting from said ends is a shank portion D which 1s concaved upon one side and adapted to conform to the edge of the whiffie tree, and F designates screws passed through said plate and affording means for attachment to the whiflie tree. A pin G is mounted in registering apertures in said wings and upon which the whiflie tree hook K is pivotally mounted. Said whiffie tree hook has a projecting arm 0 leading therefrom which, when the hook is locked in position to receive and hold a trace hook, is in contact with the outer face of the shank portion of said plate in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a portion of the plate intermediate said wings being recessed or cut away to allow said projecting portion to swing therein.

N designates a groove formed in the convexed surface of the projecting portion of the plate, in which the projection of the whiifle tree hook rests when in contact with the outer face of the shank of said plate.

M designates a retaining member made of a piece of metal, the ends of which are bent to form flanges and engage the opposite marginal edges of the extension of the plate and is adapted to slide over one end of the projection of the whiifle tree hook to hold the same in contact with said plate. One end of the retaining member has an apertured lug h for the reception of a chain or cord, whereby the same may be pulled toward the center of the whiifle tree and out of contact with the projection of the whiflie tree hook, allowing the latter to turn upon its pivot and release the trace hook.

By the provision of the device as shown and described, it will be observed that a simple and efficient means is afforded which may be readily applied to the ordinary whiffle tree and so aranged that at an illstants notice the trace hooks may be detached to allow a horse to be free from the shaft or thills of the vehicle.

lVhat I claim to be new is A horse detaching device comprising a whiffie tree, a forked plate fastened to the end thereof and having one edge flush with the forward edge of the whifile tree, the opposite edge of the plate provided with a concaved tapering arm fitting over the rear convexed edge of the whifie tree, the opposite edges of said arm projecting in opposite directions from the surface of the whiffie tree, a retaining hook pivoted to the In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two w1tnesses.

THOMAS M. BOVARD. Witnesses A. G. ROBE, JOHN C. MGEWEN. 

